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As we progress through spring and into summer, it is important that you know how to treat algae growth should you experience an algae bloom. Persistent algae blooms will still flex their muscles even if you maintain a clean pond. There are really two approaches, a reactive approach-treating growth, and a proactive approach-treating the source.

Reactive Approach-Treating the Growth
You can provide a temporary relief from algae by treating these algae break-outs with an algaecide like Algae Defense® or Cutrine®-Plus Granular . It is best to treat the algae first, making contact between the chemical and the target algae as much as possible and then raking out the debris once dead. If the algae mat is more then an inch or two thick, you may want to rake out some of the algae before treating. To apply use a Pond Sprayer or Hand Spreader to kill off the remaining algae particulate. Once the treated algae dies and browns out, remove the debris with an Pond & Beach Rake so it does not sink the bottom of the pond and decay, encouraging new growth.

When selecting the type algaecide to use you will want to observe any use restrictions the product may carry. Algae Defense® and Cutrine®-Plus granular are a popular choice as they do not carry any water use restrictions. . These products do however contain chelated copper which will not harm the pond or most common gamefish but are not as friendly to trout if carbonate hardness is less than 50ppm. You can test your carbonate hardness before treatment with a carbonate hardness test kit. If Koi, Goldfish or Trout inhabit your pond and you are looking for another option you may want to consider using Clipper™. This product does carry some water use restrictions however it does not contain copper.

Proactive Approach-Treating the Source
Proactively treating your pond before you actually experience algae blooms can save you time and money in the long run. Algae blooms tend to be a symptom of a much larger problem – a dirty pond. By using only algaecides for pond maintenance you allow your pond to continue to accumulate organic debris and fuel for bigger and more stubborn outbreaks.
If your water temperatures are already around 50 degrees or above you can enlist the help of beneficial bacteria and natural water treatments to reduce organic debris and bind phosphates. Pond Logic® PondClear™ can be used to treat your entire water column and attack floating suspended organics that cause turbid water. Pond Logic® MuckAway™ sinks to the bottom of your pond to eliminate pond muck. Pond Logic® EcoBoost™ naturally binds the phosphates helps sink floating particulates to increase water clarity. EcoBoost™ also introduces trace minerals into your pond which improves the health of your game fish. Remember to also run your Airmax® Aeration System . Aerating your pond will ensure a healthy and well balanced pond for your fish during times of added stress while treating for algae, as well as to promote beneficial bacteria like PondClear™ to continue to breakdown any debris you may have missed while raking.

Pond Talk: Have you already experienced an algae bloom in your pond this season?

The first step in reclaiming your pond is to evaluate the status quo. With a quick inventory, you’ll determine if it’s full of weeds, and if there’s any aeration.

Summer fish kills are typically caused by pond turnovers due to lack of proper aeration. The top layer of water in your pond carries more oxygen and reacts faster to temperature changes due to its exposure to the air. The bottom of your pond will tend to contain less oxygen, light and will be slower to warm up throughout the summer. These layers of water are referred to as stratification and are divided by thermoclines. If you have ever swam in your pond you may have noticed that your feet are colder than your chest as they break the thermocline in the water column. Your fish will find a happy medium in the water column where there is adequate oxygen and warmth.

Particular rainy or windy days can cause the thermocline in your pond to break. The bottom layer of water in your pond will mix together with the healthier top layer of water. As your fish have nowhere to flee to, they are trapped in the newly mixed pond water which can severely stress and even kill your fish.

Therefore, for maximum initial impact, proper aeration is critical. If it’s missing, weeds thrive, algae blooms, and both fish and healthy plants struggle for survival. At The Pond Guy, you’ll find exactly what your pond needs with one of our Airmax Aeration Systems. Designed to suit the size and depth characteristics of your pond, the right system will begin the process of making your pond a safe, healthy habitat for the fish and plants that make ponds a pleasure.

Once the aeration is up and running, you’ll need to tackle the weeds and algae with our safe, powerful herbicides and algaecides. Our most powerful weapon in the fight to restore a pond’s health is our ClearPAC and ClearPAC Plus products, which combine the benefits of beautiful, Nature’s Blue dye and Algae Defense algaecide, the muck reducing power of our PondClear natural bacteria and our beneficial EcoBoost phosphate binder, which reduces phosphate levels to make water clear and healthy for fish, wildlife and anyone else wanting to use the pond.

ClearPac Plus also includes MuckAway to eliminate the muck that accumulates at the bottom after long periods without proper pond care. By following the simple steps included with ClearPac, you’ll see marked improvement in no time, with steady improvement over the course of several weeks of treatment.

I didnt want to use chemicals to treat algae in my pond so i tried barley straw which is widely available, but found it to be ineffective. I then tried natural bacteria called aquaclean from bionetix which was really effective at clearing the algae, it says on the tub that it works by “starving” the algae of the food source so it can not grow.

I have several water features and ponds to maintain
algae is a problem . The features are located on Stuart Island British Columbia Canada
Zone 6 Norhwest Coastal
what products recommended?
fish involved in the large pond.

I’m not sure the size of these features but many algaecides designed for water features are fish and plant safe such as Algae Fix or Tetra Algae Control. I would also reccomend a natural bacteria to help reduce muck and fish waste in the ponds. Unfortunetly we would not be able to ship any of these products to you in Canada due to regulations.

The different products that i have read about discourage using chemical algae removers if you have goldfish or koi. I only have goldfish in my pond, but some of them are 13 and 14 years old – still don’t want them to die–so what would you suggest I use. I have a tremendous amount of algae and blooms. I have only used Algae Fix over the years, but algae keeps coming back. Need something thats going to work great and not kill my goldfish.

Various barley products can help. Shade is the ultimate solution. Cover 70-80% of your pond surface with floating or other surface plants like lilies. They also consume nutrients the algae would use. Keep your sludge eating bacteria up.